Pokemon Legends: Season 1
by MoonFromAlola
Summary: Chase and Elaine couldn't be more happy to start their pokemon journeys and escape the uneventful town of Pallet. However, when an International Policeman shows up on their doorstep, they get more adventure than they could have dreamed! Along with childhood friend Trace, Chase and Elaine battle baddies and travel across Kanto on the adventure of a lifetime.
1. Intro

The Pokemon World is full of mysteries and alternate realities. These realities are connected together by the vast Ultra Space, where those who live there protect the space between the timelines. There is no real way to know just how many alternate timelines there are, but of the ones we know for sure is one that involves the existence of mega evolution and one that does not. However, there is a third timeline, one where Red wasn't the one to defeat Giovanni and go on to be the champion, but a different hero found himself facing the formidable Mewtwo for the fate of the world. This third world is where our story takes place.


	2. Prologue

Looker stood in the elevator as music blared from hidden speakers. His boss had asked to see him, which was unusual since his boss never so much as looked him in the eye but now had the sudden urge to speak with him privately. Looker tapped his foot impatiently, theories of what could be going on fluttering in his head like the butterflies in his stomach. The worst case scenario was that he was being fired. However, he hadn't done anything controversial lately, so he wasn't sure what the reasoning behind him being fired could be. Sure he didn't have a pokemon, but everyone knew his reasoning for that. They couldn't fire him because he was incompetent without a pokemon, could they?

Now he was _really _nervous. The elevator seemed as if it were moving slower than usual. Finally, he heard the perky _DING_ that signaled the elevator had reached its destination. The doors slid open jerkily, as they were in desperate need of maintenance. He was immediately greeted by intense fluorescent lighting as he cautiously stepped out onto the floor of elite International Policemen and women. The top floor of the building was reserved only for the best of the best, with The Boss's office in the center. People were rushing through the aisles between grey colored cubicles, busy as the elite were expected to be. No one even noticed Looker as he made his way through the commotion.

The Boss's office was located in the center of the floor. It's walls were made of glass so that she could keep an eye on everyone around her. In the center of the office was a circular desk, also designed so that The Boss had a 360 view of the office around her. She was always watching. Looker gulped, thinking about what would happen to any poor soul caught slacking off under her watch.

Looker approached the glass door, his hand trembling has he reached for the handle. As he entered he couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched. He could see that The Boss was in her chair, but she was turned to face the opposite was as him. He approached the desk, his feet feeling like he was dragging them through thick sludge as he slowly made his way across the room. He stopped just as he approached the large, black stained wooden desk. The Boss seemed to be typing on a laptop, and from what Looker could see it appeared as if she had her email open. Suddenly, she slammed the laptop shut and spun around to face him. Her cold blue eyes met his and he felt a shiver run through his body. She adjusted her wire glasses and stood, strands of red hair falling in front of her face.

"Looker," she greeted him, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear. She was beginning to go grey from what Looker could see in the dim lighting. She kept her office darker than the rest of the office on purpose to create a more intense environment that workers would fear. The Boss also dressed as formal as possible to further show her supremacy. Looker had never seen her not in a black blazer and matching pencil skirt. Occasionally, she changed up the color of her blouse, but it was usually white. All of this was paired with extremely high heels that made her an inch or two taller than Looker, who was already a decent size at six feet tall. She held her gaze on him as she came closer. A loud _THUMP _sent Looker jumping a few feet into the air. A large pokemon had dropped from the ceiling and was now perched on the desk. It was The Boss's prized Braviary, and it was looking at Looker as if he were a midnight snack!

"Ma'am," Looker responded, bowing his head slightly and praying that his voice hadn't stuttered. The Boss's red lips twisted into a smirk.

"Looker," she said, much warmer than previously. "Cut the formalities. We've known each other since the academy! You don't have to fear me like everyone else, no matter _how _long it's been since we've seen each other." Looker let out a sigh of relief. She was right. They'd met in the academy when The Boss was fighting another talented individual for the top spot. Back then she went by her codename, Puncher, but now she was only referred to as "The Boss." Then, an idea struck him.

"So, you're not going to fire me?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"Of course not! You work harder than anyone on this floor," she smiled at Looker and went over to a cart with a coffee maker sitting on top of it. "Coffee?"

"No thanks." The Boss shrugged and put one of the pods in the coffee maker. It was one of those fancy contraptions that you put a little plastic cup in it and it magically brewed coffee in a minute. The people Looker worked with timed it once but he didn't remember what the outcome was. He wasn't much for the fancy new things. He was sure he'd switch over eventually, but for now he refused to let go of his old fashioned coffee maker. However, Looker would admit that the product of the contraption smelled wonderful. The Boss sipped from her mug and walked gracefully back towards her chair.

As she sat down, Looker finally asked, "Well, if you aren't planning to fire me… Why am I here?" She pulled out two cream colored files and placed them on her desk.

"The Team Rocket issue is growing out of hand," The Boss said, the tone of her voice all business.

"What do you mean?" Looker questioned, concerned about what that could mean.

"Our sources tell us that Giovanni has successfully created the asset." Looker's heart skipped a beat.

_Impossible! It can't be true! He can't have succeeded! _Looker thought to himself, panicking.

"I'm afraid that it is all too true, Looker," The Boss said, reading his horrified facial expression. "They have been successful in creating a clone of Mew."

"But how?!" Looker exclaimed.

"That is unclear at this time," The Boss said grimly. "As far as any of us knew their research died with Agent Apollo." Looker went stiff at the mention of his friend.

Agent Apollo, known in the real world as Mark, was an undercover agent. One of the best, too. He gave The Boss a run for her money back in the academy days. In fact, they were well known as rivals. However, as good as he was at his job, Mark went into a retirement from the spy life to get married and raise his twin children. However, when it was suspected that Team Rocket was conducting genetic experimentation, they called Mark out from retirement because of how skilled he was. Things went south when he called to say that Team Rocket was planning to create their clone, but when backup arrived…

Looker hurt just thinking about it.

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Looker asked.

"The question is, Looker, what are _you _going to do about it?" The Boss said.

"Excuse me?"

"This is your mission, should you choose to accept it," The Boss leaned back in her large wheeled chair, studying his reaction.

"What?!" Looker couldn't even _try _to hide his horror. "Isn't this too personal of a mission?"

The Boss shrugged, "Maybe. But that's exactly what makes you perfect for it." Looker must have been visibly confused because she smiled and continued to explain. She pushed the two files towards him. "Because of these." Looker hesitantly picked up the files and opened them.

"Looker? You've been silent for quite some time, are you okay?" The Boss asked after Looker didn't say anything.

"I can't do it," he finally said.

"But you must."

"But I can't."

"Looker, this is your job."

"They're just kids, Tabatha! I won't bring them into this!" Looker snapped. The Boss's eyes went wide at the mention of her real name. Looker gulped.

_If I wasn't fired before I sure am now!_

"A-am I fired now?" Looker stuttered. The Boss's face was emotionless.

"No," she said. "But you need to understand something. This has to be done. If they're just like… Mark, then they'll be important. Just for being his kids they'll surely be targeted! If you don't do this, then I'll get someone else who will. So, if you want to see to it that they are safe you'll have to do this." Looker pondered the idea.

"They turn ten in a couple of days. They'll probably want to go off on their journeys," Looker said.

"That's fine," The Boss said. "They can still go and challenge gyms trying to be the very best, but I'd like to know that they are on _our side_. Do you understand, Looker?" Looker sighed. He really didn't want to get those children involved in something that wasn't their problem, but he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to make sure they were safe _he'd _have to be the one to recruit them, even though every fiber of his being told him that it was a bad idea.

"Alright then, I'll do it," Looker said.

"Good," The Boss said. She'd lost all warmth she'd shown him before.

_She's mad at me, _he thought. _Perfect. _

"You are dismissed," The Boss waved him off. Looker could feel Braviary's eyes staring daggers into his back as he approached the door. "And Looker," Looker turned back at The Boss, scared of what else she could have to say to him. "Don't _ever _say my name again. I trust you. Don't make me regret it."

"Yes, Ma'am," Looker said, exiting the office before he could get into even _more _trouble. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief to be out of the office. He hadn't meant to say her name, it just came out! There was a rule against using your real names. Looker only knew her's because of some reasons he didn't want to think about. Even so, she'd always been particularly touchy about her past. Looker tried to shake it off as he entered the elevator.

_Now for the hard part, _Looker thought to himself as he mentally planned his trip to Pallet Town.


	3. Chapter One- Chase

"Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Chase and Elaine!

Happy birthday to you!"

"And many more!" Professor Oak added, very off key. Chase looked at his sister, her smile shining bright even in the dark room. She looked happy, smiling at the attention they were getting. He was glad she was happy. His twin sister had always been a ray of sunshine, no matter what happened. But he could tell that, in this moment, she was completely content with her life. He couldn't believe they were turning ten years old. _Ten years! _That's double digits! The whole thing was unfathomable to his young mind. On top of that, the next day they could finally get their first pokemon!

"Make a wish!" their mother said from behind her camera, which was recording the whole event. They didn't have many friends to invite, so it wasn't a big party. It was just Chase, his sister, their mom, Professor Oak, and his Grandson, Trace. They weren't really friends with Trace, it kind of depended on who you asked. Trace would say no, Elaine would say yes, and Chase just answered with "it's complicated." Trace was like that, emotionally distant. Chase didn't blame him though. His parents were always busy with work, and his older sister was always out doing various other things. So, Trace was left with his grandfather, the professor.

Elaine looked at Chase and said, "Are you ready?" He smiled and nodded. Then, they both took a deep breath in, and blew it outward towards the candles, blowing them out in one shot. Their small audience clapped. Elaine smiled at Chase.

"What'd you wish for?" Elaine asked, excitement in her voice.

"I can't tell you," Chase responded, smirking. "It won't come true if I do." Elaine pouted.

"Aww, but I kinda want to know," Elaine whined. Then, an idea hit me.

"How about I'll tell you on our birthday _next _year," I suggested. She smiled widely. "Then we can see if it really came true."

"Okay!" Elaine exclaimed. Suddenly, someone turned on the lights in the dining room, illuminating the area. Chase squinted, his eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness. Mom leaned over to grab the cake, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes. She said, "I'll take the candles out," before disappearing into the kitchen.

The house they grew up in was simple, but it met all of the basic needs. It had two bedrooms, one which Chase and Elaine shared, and a decent kitchen and dining room. In Pallet Town that was pretty much what you got, since there were only two houses in total. On the outside looking in, Pallet Town wasn't more than a couple of houses, but it happened to be the home of Kanto's Pokemon Laboratory. Thanks to that fact, they got to grow up surrounded by pokemon, and that was worth the sheltered life style.

"Thanks for coming, you guys," Elaine said to Professor Oak and Trace.

Professor Oak shrugged, "It was my pleasure. I've known you two since you were babies! I wouldn't ever miss it!"

"Gramps made me come," Trace said grumpily.

"We're still glad you're here," Elaine said.

"You're one of the lucky ones," Professor Oak said, leaning forward on the table. "Your birthday just so happens to the day before ten year olds become eligible to get their first pokemon!" Kids were allowed to get their first pokemon the April after their tenth birthday. Anyone born on April 1st on would have to wait to get their pokemon. Chase and Elaine's birthday was luckily on March 31st, meaning all they had to do was go to sleep and when they woke up they'd be able to get their first pokemon!

"Yeah, we really lucked out!" Chase exclaimed.

"You really did," the Professor chuckled. "Trace here had two months to wait and he almost went crazy!"

"I did not, Gramps!" Trace tried defended himself but they all knew him well enough to know that Professor Oak spoke the truth.

"Here comes cake!" Mom said as she came in with plates and we began to enjoy our first moments as ten year olds.

"Chase?" Elaine whispered. After a night of reminiscing on the past ten years of their lives, Chase and Elaine had gone upstairs to bed in order to be well rested for the next day. However, sleep wasn't in the mood to visit with them, so Chase had sat unable to sleep for at least an hour. He'd had a feeling Elaine was having the same issue, and was waiting for her to finally say something.

Chase rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling through the darkness. Nothing could be seen in their room through in the dark. "Yeah, Elain?" Chase whispered back. In a strange sense he could tell that she was worried about something. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Elaine said, then was silent for several minutes. Finally, she said something, "Are you… Scared at all?"

"About our journey?" Chase asked. He thought about that for a moment. _I guess I was so excited to leave that I hadn't really thought it through. _"A little."

"Okay, cool," Elaine said then went silent again.

"Elaine?"

"Yeah."

"Are you scared?"

"Yeah," Elaine said. "I guess that I'm just worried that my pokemon will hate me."

"_That's _what you worried about?" Chase chuckled.

"What? It's not funny!" Elaine whined.

Chase responded, "No offense Elaine, but it really is funny. You are the most wonderful, caring person in the world! They'll love you!"

"Aw, thanks Chase," Elaine said. Even though Chase couldn't see Elaine, he could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm sure your pokemon will love you too. You'll be an unbeatable team!"

"Thanks."

"No problem." They sat there in silence, feeling reassured about their journey. "I wish Dad were here," Elaine said out of the blue.

"Me too," Chase agreed. Their Dad had died when they were really young, and their mom refused to talk about him. They'd seen him in pictures, but didn't know much about him other than that.

"What pokemon do you think he'd pick?" Elaine said, laughing a little at the thought.

"Hm," Chase thought about it. "I'm not sure."

"Yeah," Elaine said. "Well, goodnight!" Chase heard her flop onto her side.

"Goodnight," Chase responded, left wondering after the conversation with his sister (something all too common when talking to her). He wondered about their father and their journey until he finally drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter Two- Elaine

"Chase! Elaine! Hurry up or there won't be any pokemon left!" Mom shouted from downstairs.

"We'll be down in a minute, Mom!" Chase shouted from the doorway. He'd been ready for twenty minutes but Elaine just couldn't figure out what to pack! Chase was watching her with those grey eyes of his, silently judging her for being late but trying not to be obvious about it. He was wearing his favorite hat, a white and red baseball cap with a half pokeball shape on the front. Elaine had a matching version of the hat, except it was pink instead of red. He'd also put on a red and white jacket and blue shorts. His backpack looked like it had less in it than hers.

_He even __**looks**_ _like a trainer. _

"We really should get going," Chase said, trying to hurry her along without being mean. Elaine zipped her backpack and threw it over her shoulders. She smiled a huge smile at Chase and started to walk out the door. Just as they reached the top of the stairs she remembered something.

"Chase wait! I forgot something!" she shouted and ran back into their bedroom. She hurried towards her nightstand and picked up a small shiny Cutiefly plush. It was adorable with its small round body, long legs, rounded wings, and pink color, but it was special for another reason.

"You came back for Cutiefly?" Chase questioned from the doorway.

"Of course!" Elaine said. "Cutiefly was the first thing I ever bought with my own money! It made me feel like such an adult back then, so I think it's good to have it when we're on our own."

"Okay then, if you want it, but let's get going before all of the pokemon are taken," Chase said and walked off. Elaine began to follow him but hesitated at the doorway. She turned around to gaze once more upon the room she grew up in. Her bed was against the wall to her right, and Chase's was on the opposite wall. They also each had a desk where Elaine had memories of sitting and drawing pokemon. Each twin's designated "side" of the room was decorated very different from the other's. Elaine's had posters sloppily taped up for movies and poffin baking competitions while Chase's walls were neatly decorated with posters from every Pokemon World Tournament for the past 20 years. Elaine also had dozens of plushies for pokemon of every size and type imaginable. She was being silly, they were going to come back for the night before heading off on the road the next morning. However, Elaine somehow felt that once she left the room she wouldn't ever be the same. That thought was enough to leave her gazing back at her childhood before she moved on.

"Elaine!" Elaine heard her mother shout and immediately started moving, not wanting to risk angering her mom. She ran outside to find Chase against the wall and her mother standing there holding a camera. Mom's eyes were filled with tears as she looked Elaine's way. She was dressed for work in her yellow shirt and jeans. Elaine's mother worked at PokeCare, a sort of an orphanage for pokemon. Their main focus was on rescuing pokemon that were subject to cruelty or were babies without their mothers, and rehabilitating them to go back into the wild or on the road with a new trainer. She was going to leave for work after Chase and Elaine came home, since she wanted to be there for them while also giving them space. Her mother stroked her black ponytail with a tan skinned hand. Her skin tone was only slightly darker than Chase and Elaine's, but it was still a noticeable difference.

"Come over here sweetie," their mother said tearfully. "Let me get a picture of you!" Elaine trotted over next to Chase, her heart fluttering with a thousand different emotions all at once. "Smile!" Elaine smiled her biggest smile as she held onto Chase's arm. The camera clicked as their mother took the picture and then a couple more just in case. Chase and Elaine went and gave their mother a hug, enjoying the last moments of being with her. Sniffling, their mother said, "It's not like this is goodbye. You'll still stay here with your pokemon tonight, right?"

"Of course we will," Elaine said, tightening her hold on her mother. Then, they all backed away and Chase and Elaine began to walk towards the Professor's lab.

"I told you I'm fine!" Trace's voice rang out clear as he ran out his front door. His house was the same as Elaine's, two floors and wooden siding, but the roof was blue instead of red. Trace's sister yelled something back at him from inside the house but Elaine couldn't hear it.

"What are you thinking?" Chase asked. He knew her well enough to know when she was plotting. Elaine just smiled at him and ran back to her mom.

"Mom! Can I have the camera?" Elaine asked. Her mom handed over the camera. The camera was small, but durable enough to endure any shenanigans Elaine could come up with. Elaine ran over to Trace so fast she thought her legs would fall off, with Chase watching the whole time from where she'd left him. "Trace!" she called out as she approached him. He'd just come down his front steps and stopped as she called out to him. His brown eyes looked annoyed and his mouth was set in a straight line. His brown hair was sticking up a little, like no one had bothered to tell him he needed to comb it. He also wore his signature outfit, a black t-shirt green pants and red sneakers, plus his pokeball shaped backpack.

"What do you want?" Trace asked, his tone showing no emotion whatsoever. Elaine smiled at him, taking his indifference as a challenge to try and make him smile.

"Come pose for a picture!" she demanded.

"What? No. We're late already," he said and started to walk off. Elaine walked in front of him and he sighed.

"You know," Elaine said. "This would go much faster if you agree of your own free will." Trace sighed again.

"Fine," he said grumpily. Elaine backed up and held the camera to her eye but stopped before taking the picture.

"Could you at least look a _little _excited?" Elaine asked but his facial expression said that it was a lost cause. She quickly snapped the picture and went over to him. "Thank you!"

"Hmph," Tace responded.

"Elaine! Come on!" Chase shouted, still standing where Elaine had ditched him.

"Be right there!" Elaine responded, grabbed Trace's wrist, and dragged him over towards the Pokemon Lab.


	5. Chapter Three- Trace

There were no other then year olds at the lab when Trace arrived with Elaine and Chase. Elaine was still holding on tightly to his wrist, which wasn't totally horrible. It's not like he'd ever say it out loud, but he didn't mind Elaine's company. The lab was quiet. Scientists were off conducting experiments with a variety of pokemon assisting them. There were dozens of bookshelves in the middle of the lab with a clear path down the middle that lead to where Professor Oak gave out the starter pokemon. The white tile floor was almost glowing in the fluorescent lighting, apparently the white was to make the place seem more clean. If only people knew what Trace knew about the goings on there. He shivered at the thought.

From what he could tell, his grandfather was nowhere in sight. He brushed the disappearance aside as him just being in the back room watching the latest foreign drama series.

"Professor!" Chase called out and Elaine followed suit. The professor quickly ran out from the back room, shoving his phone into his lab coat pocket.

_Knew it, _Trace thought. _Netflix and chillin' on the job._

"Kids! I'm so glad you finally made it!" Professor Oak exclaimed, his large smile making the wrinkles on his face stand out more. Trace's grandfather had been around for a long time, and was one of the most experienced of scientists still left in the scientific field. The professor had practically raised Trace, since his parents were always at work, and his sister was always off with her contest friends. Trace's sister was a lot older than him. She and her Gardevoir traveled across the regions competing and judging pokemon contests. She's a pretty big deal in the contest world, but Trace didn't really get it. Elaine always thought it was awesome though. "I was getting worried."

"We were running a little late," Elaine shrugged, finally letting go of Trace. There were marks on his wrist from where she'd been gripping. He hadn't even realized she was holding on that tight. "But we're here now!"

"You sure are," Professor Oak said. "Come along, we'll get you your pokemon!" The trio followed him through the rows of books to the back area. The back area had lots of test tubes and shelves with rows of pokeballs and pokedexs. A locked door to the right led to an apartment upstairs where Professor Oak lived with his pokemon. Trace used to sleep over in that apartment all the time when his parents were at work overnight. He learned a lot about pokemon from doing that, since he heard everything the scientists talked about through the thin walls. Slightly off center from the middle of the room was a green table on top of which were three pokeballs. "I just restocked so you three can pick whichever you want! Who's first?" They were all silent. Trace looked at Chase, who was usually the first to do anything, but he looked a little pale.

"Well if no one else is going to," Trace grumbled and stepped up to the table. The three pokeballs were resting on grey pedestals that had small plaques on them. On the plaques were short blurbs about each pokemon.

"Wait!" Elaine said. "Don't read the tags. See which one you're drawn to."

"Elaine, you shouldn't tell people what to do," Chase said in his snooty manner that Trace couldn't stand.

"Maybe I _will _do it that way," Trace retorted. He didn't want Elaine to know that he listened to her, but he _really _didn't want to listen to _Chase_.

_Why am I like this? _He closed his eyes and turned back towards the table, or at least where he _thought _the table was, he wasn't totally sure. Slowly, he reached out his hand, trying not to look so unsure of himself. Suddenly, he heard a small clunk and Elaine gasped. Trace put his hand down and felt, not a pokeball, but something fluffy. He opened his eyes and there in front of him, wagging its tail, was a smiling, slobbering Growlithe.

"Huh," Professor Oak murmured. "That's odd. I don't think I've ever seen a pokemon do that." Trace stared at Growlithe and Growlithe stared right back. It's bright orange fur seemed even brighter in the lab's lighting, and the sharp silver claws sticking out from his paws made the adorable pokemon seem a little scary. Trace hadn't ever thought he'd end up with a growlithe for a partner, which was kind of funny since his mom had an arcanine. Trace's hand was still resting on the pokemon's fluffy "mohawk" of cream colored fluff. The fluff on its head matched the fluff on its chest and its tail, which was still wagging like crazy. Growlithe let out a small yip, its tongue hanging out of its mouth as it panted with excitement.

"Wow, Growlithe chose _you_! I didn't see that coming!" Elaine exclaimed with a giggle. Chase looked like he was trying to figure out Growlithe's stats, his black eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Finally, he came back to the real world, smiled, and said, "Growlithe, pretty cool, Trace."

Trace wasn't sure what to do. For ten years he'd thought about this moment. Meeting his pokemon partner that he'd likely spend the rest of his life with. He'd planned how it would go down so many times in his head, how he'd greet his partner. However, as he stared into Growlithe's black eyes, he couldn't find the right words. Suddenly, Growlithe tilted its head up and licked his hand before lunging at him. Trace held Growlithe tight.

"Careful there!" he exclaimed as Growlithe squirmed to get comfortable. Once it found a position it was comfortable in (its front paws draped over Trace's one arm and his other arm supported Growlithe from underneath) Trace walked back over to Chase and Elaine.

"I know that Growlithe, he's quite the life of the party around here," Professor Oak explained with a warm smile. "Who's next?" Chase and Elaine looked at each other, seemingly having a whole conversation telepathically. Trace figured it was a twin thing. Growlithe seemed slightly confused and he looked up at Trace.

"They're twins," Trace whispered to Growlithe who nodded and went back to observing. Chase approached the table and looked over to Elaine. Then, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and hovered his hand between the two remaining pokeballs. Then, he stopped over the ball to his right. As his hand touched the pokeball, it popped open, revealing from a burst of blue a small yellow pokemon.

"Pikachu!" the pikachu exclaimed, it's red cheeks sparking with excitement.

"Hi, Pikachu! I'm Chase," Chase introduced himself and stuck out a hand for Pikachu to shake. Growlithe looked up at Trace again with a judgmental look on his face.

"What?! I was too nervous to properly introduce myself!" Trace whispered. "I'm Trace, by the way." Growlithe stuck out his tongue playfully. They turned their attention back to Chase just in time to see Pikachu shake Chase's hand… And electrocute him accidentally.

"Chase!" Elaine shouted and Trace readied himself for action, but Chase emerged fine. What little of his black hair that was showing from underneath his hat was sticking straight up, but other than that he seemed fine.

"I'm fine," Chase said, his words slurred a little bit.

"Yeah, that pikachu is a feisty one!" Professor Oak said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Nothing I can't handle!" Chase exclaimed confidently. Trace rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Elaine said as if she had realized something. "That means this last one is mine!" She ran over to the last pokeball and held it delicately in her hands. Trace tried to hold back a smile at how excited she was, but it slipped through a little. The pokeball popped open and an extremely small eevee emerged from the blue light. It was a scraggy little thing. Its fur was thinning in some places and overall its fur appeared to need a good combing. "Aww, you are so cute!" Elaine shrieked. Eevee's face lit up at being called cute and it licked Elaine's face. It was on the smaller side by eevee standards, most likely the runt of the litter, but Elaine didn't seem to notice.

"That little guy is our runt," Professor Oak explained. "He'll need a little extra love."

"Well that's good because I just happen to have a little _extra _love," Elaine said as she held Eevee close. Growlithe gave Trace another judgemental look to which Trace just shrugged.

"Great!" Professor Oak exclaimed and then walked over to the shelf that held all of the pokedexes. He picked up three of them and walked back over to the trio. "These are the Kanto Pokedex. Use them to find anything you need to know about pokemon!" The professor handed them each a shiny red pokedex that was a little bigger than Trace's hand. Elaine was squealing next to him, chattering on about how excited she was. Growlithe sniffed the pokedex. The Kanto Pokedex was designed so that it flipped open to reveal a screen that would display an image of the pokemon in question. A blue light in the top left corner of the device would light up as a voice described information on a pokemon. There were many other buttons but Trace wasn't sure what they did.

"Growlithe?" Growlithe asked, pointing a paw at the pokedex.

"What's a pokedex?" Trace asked, checking to make sure he'd understood it right. He could hear Chase and Elaine having a similar conversation with their partners. With a deep breath, he began to explain, "A pokedex is a little computer that knows everything about every pokemon we know of." Trace hoped he'd explained it right. He'd never been responsible for something like a pokemon that's future depended on his abilities to teach. Growlithe nodded and went back to observing the other people. He seemed fascinated by everything.

"Now that you each have a pokedex, and your pokemon, you're ready to start your adventure! Let me just grab some pokeballs for each of you and you'll be all set!" Professor Oak said and went to grab pokeballs. Suddenly, Chase turned to Trace.

"Hey, Trace! Let's battle!" Chase said with a smirk on his face. Trace glanced at Growlithe, who's tail was wagging even faster against Trace's chest.

"Sure, but I hope you're prepared to lose," Trace said. Chase seemed determined. After Professor Oak brought their pokeballs, they ran outside to start the battle. All they had was the grassy area in front of the Pokemon Lab, but that would work for a battle between the starter pokemon. The Pokemon Lab loomed next to them, its shadow casting over the "battlefield." Trace hoped they wouldn't accidentally harm the ancient stone building, but it would probably be fine.

"Ready?" Trace shouted to Chase, even though he was only five feet away. Pikachu's cheeks were sparking with excitement for the coming battle. Growlithe was excited too, yipping and wagging his tail.

"Born ready!" Chase replied. Trace rolled his eyes. Professor Oak stood in the doorway. Elaine figited next to him, barely able to contain her excitement. Professor Oak had offered to be the referee for the battle, and began to explain the rules.

"Alright, boys, this is a one on one battle with no time limit. You may begin!" Professor Oak exclaimed dramatically. Trace was too focused on coming up with a strategy to cringe at his grandfather.

"If you're so ready why don't you go first?" Trace said to Chase. Chase smirked. After a quick glance at his pokedex he replied, "Fine, I will! Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Pikachu hopped into the air surrounded by bright electricity. Growlithe attempted to dodge the bolt but it hit him anyway. Trace wasted no time with giving his command.

"Growlithe use Ember!" Trace screamed. Growlithe pounced on Pikachu, but Pikachu dodged the attack. Chase smirked.

"Pikachu use Thunder Shock again!" Chase ordered. Pikachu repeated his previous move and once again had a direct hit. Trace's plan wasn't working out very well.

"Growlithe use Bite!" he ordered, struggling to think of a new strategy. Growlithe did as he was commanded and this time his teeth dug into Pikachu's side. Chase looked as if he was in pain too and Trace heard Elaine wince from the sidelines. Bite was a pretty brutal move, but other than that Growlithe only knew Ember, which had less power, and Roar, which wouldn't do him any good in a one on one battle. Chase ordered Pikachu to use Thunder Shock again and bright yellow electricity surrounded Growlithe. Trace's heart skipped a beat. Once the move had finished, Growlithe backed away, taking a stance that showed he was ready to battle, but he collapsed a moment later. Trace froze in place. He could hear Chase congratulating Pikachu in the distance. Then, he silently walked over to Growlite and picked up his pokemon, cradling him in his arms. Growlithe opened its eyes enough to look up at Trace and let out a whimper.

"Sorry, Growlithe, that was my fault," Trace whispered to Growlithe so that no one else could hear. "Get some rest, okay?" He then returned Growlithe to his pokeball.

"Good battle, Trace," Chase had approached Trace when he wasn't paying attention. Pikachu was grinning on Chase's shoulder as Chase held a hand out to Trace in a gesture of peace. Trace ignored it.

"Sure," Trace said bitterly. He couldn't believe he'd lost! He started to walk away but Chase walked next to him.

"Want some advice?" Chase asked.

"No."

"You think too much," Chase continued as if Trace hadn't spoken. Trace stopped and turned back to Chase. "You need to _feel_." Chase looked at Trace, looking as if he were waiting for a thank you. Trace wouldn't give it to him. Instead, he looked back at his grandfather and called out, "Thanks, Gramps!"

"Sure thing, Trace! Good luck!" Professor Oak responded. Then, Trace walked away.

_I need to _feel_?! What kind of advice is that?! It's like telling someone to follow their heart. I'll go home and get Growlithe fixed up and we'll head out. I wish I hadn't stormed off, Gramps could have fixed Growlithe better than I could. _Then, he heard Elaine's voice ring out behind him.

"Wait! Trace!" Trace was almost home by now and there was no sign of Chase.

"What?" Trace said impatiently. Elaine looked up at him with innocent brown eyes. She was panting from trying to keep up with Trace, who walked really fast. Eevee seemed oblivious to its surroundings as it sat on her head.

"Are you going to leave now?" she asked, taking a deep breath between each word.

"After I fix up Growlithe," Trace said. "Why?"

She glanced at the ground nervously then said, "I was just curious. Chase and I are going to take our pokemon home for the night and head out in the morning. I kind of thought we could all leave together," There was an awkward silence that lasted several minutes. Then, Elaine smiled at him and said, "Okay, cool, I'll see you around sometime!"

"Yeah, sure," Trace responded and she ran off to where Chase was approaching in the distance. Trace sighed.

_Maybe leaving in the morning wouldn't be _so _terrible._


	6. Chapter Four- Chase

"I don't understand why you try and talk to him," Chase said as Elaine approached him. "It's impossible." Elaine had just come back from another unsuccessful conversation with Trace. Sometimes she could be a little _too _nice and didn't know when to give it up. Then again, Chase was like that sometimes too so he couldn't really judge. Eevee's smile mimicked Elaine's as it sat perched on her head.

"I'm sure it's a lost cause," Elaine said, shrugging. "But I'm not giving up!"

"I didn't think you would," Chase said and they began to walk over towards their house.

"Do you think Mom will like our pokemon?" Elaine asked as they strolled through the grass. Pikachu gave Chase a nervous look as if he were wondering whether he should be scared or not.

"She'll love them!" Chase reassured her. He felt Pikachu sigh with relief from his spot on Chase's shoulder. As they got closer to their house they could just make out the shape of a person sitting on their front steps.

"Hm," Elaine said thoughtfully. "Do you think Mom got locked out again?" Chase had a bad feeling fluttering in his stomach. He put a hand out to keep Elaine slightly behind him. Cautiously, they approached the porch to find a man sitting there. His greying black hair was cut short, making his receding hairline more noticeable. He wore a large tan trench coat that made him seem even more suspicious. The man's head was resting on his hands, and his brown eyes seemed as if they were filled with sorrow that Chase couldn't even begin to describe. Chase cleared his throat loudly to get the man's attention. The man's head snapped up and he froze, staring into their souls.

"A-are you Chase a-and Elaine?" he asked quietly, stumbling over his words. Chase was about to answer when Elaine stepped forward with her hand outstretched.

"Yeah! I'm Elaine and this is my brother, Chase! Who are you?" she smiled warmly. Pikachu facepalmed with his tiny yellow paw.

_You and me both, _Chase thought on Pikachu's action. The man ignored Elaine's offer for a handshake and abruptly stood up.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said. He appeared very nervous. "I'm Looker of the International Police."

"Wow," Chase and Elaine said together.

"You're name's really Looker?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know if that's what we need to focus on," Chase whispered. Elaine rolled her eyes in response. The man, Looker, didn't seem to notice.

"Looker is my codename. I'd tell you my real name but then I'd have to kill you," Looker chuckled nervously. "I'm just kidding, but not really."

"What are you doing here...Looker?" Chase asked, standing up straighter to try and look more fearsome. It didn't really work though since Look was at _least _six feet tall. Looker appeared surprised as if he'd forgotten why he was there, but he shook his head and seemed to remember.

"Well, I was looking for you two, but your mother kicked me out," Looker shrugged. Chase and Elaine exchanged a glance.

"Elaine, can I talk to you for a second?" Chase said, grabbing Elaine's arm and guiding her several feet away. "This guy is a creep. We are not letting him into our house!"

"Why not? He seems to know us and Mom knew him well enough to be comfortable kicking him to the curb," Elaine whispered back, totally not understanding the situation.

"But I have a really bad feeling about this!" Chase argued.

"Well, I have a really _good _feeling about this. What would make you think otherwise?" Elaine debated back. They were masters of arguments, being siblings and all, but this was serious and Elaine was playing it like a game.

"Because he has no proof as to who he is! We'll be letting someone, who for all we know could be a complete stranger, into our house! That is if he hasn't already got Mom tied up inside. This could be a total trap!" Chase tried to explain. Elaine looked him dead in the eyes and said, "Okay." Then, she turned around and waved at Looker while shouting, "You must be exhausted! Want to come inside?"

"What?!" Chase exclaimed in shock. He tried to stop Elaine but she was already opening the door with her key. Chase gulped but followed behind Looker as Elaine led them inside. He could see their mom in the kitchen, just past the living room, straight ahead of them. Chase was relieved that she was okay. She was doing something that Chase couldn't see. She looked up at them and her eyes went wide.

"Mom! We're ba-!" Elaine cut off her sentence to duck out of the way of an orange flying through the air. The orange hit the wall right next to Looker's head. Looker went pale.

"Hi, Margret," Looker said. Chase's mother didn't respond since she was too busy picking up another fruit. She threw an apple but Looker dodged what would have been an awesome headshot. Chase stood far away from Looker with Elaine right next to him.

"Mom!" Elaine called out.

"Sorry sweetie, I have to take care of something," their mom responded as she threw another orange. She now had no more fruit to throw. Looker sighed with relief but she was digging in a cabinet where Chase knew they kept the frying pans. When their mother stood up, frying pan in hand, Looker shrieked and started running around the living room, their mom not far behind him. "You aren't taking my kids!"

"I'm not taking them, trust me!" Looker ducked to avoid a swing from the frying pan. "If I didn't do it someone else would have! They're safer with me!" Looker flung himself in between the back of the couch and the wall in an attempt to hide. Mom was ready to go after him but Chase called out for them to stop. Mom froze in place.

"This is ridiculous!" Chase yelled. "Will someone kindly explain what's going on so I know if I need to be throwing Thunder Shocks at this guy?!"

"Yeah!" Elaine chimed in. Mom put down her frying pan, her body relaxing.

"You're right, honey," she said as she approached them. Looker peaked up from behind the couch. "You can come out, Looker." He did as she said and came out from behind the couch. He smoothed out his coat and made sure that he was as far away as he could get from their mother. She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. "Looker, go sit at the table while I meet my children's pokemon. Then we'll talk."

**xxx**

They were all silent as they sat at the dining room table. Chase's mom had taken him and Elaine into the kitchen so that she could meet their pokemon in peace. Then, she brewed some tea while Chase and Elaine told her of their adventure that morning. Finally, with the tea brewed, they went out to face Looker, who was still pale.

"So, can someone kindly explain what's going on?" Chase asked. Their mother sighed.

"Yes, we can," she said, then took a deep breath. "Kids, this is Looker. He is an old friend of mine and you father's from way back when."

"When you were with the International Police?" Elaine asked to confirm. Their mother nodded. They all knew the story of how their parents met. Their mom was a secretary for the boss of the International Police at that time, and their father was a wide eyed agent who just wanted to do good for the world. They were friends for years before they dated, got married, and eventually had Chase and Elaine. Then, their dad got called for one last mission, and he never came home.

_That makes sense why she's so mad that Looker is here, _Chase put the pieces together. _She doesn't want us to end up like Dad. _

"I'm not here to take them away," Looker tried to explain. Their mother looked at him with a stare that could kill a ghost pokemon. "Well, not _exactly_."

"Looker I'm not letting you take away my kids!" the mother snapped. Elaine gave a look of her own that made their mother calm herself. She said in a nicer tone, "If you're not 'exactly' taking them away, then what _are _you doing?"

"Well," Looker paused, likely thinking of the best way to explain that wouldn't get him clobbered with a frying pan. "I'm here to _semi_-recruit them." Their mother leaned across the table, ready to beat him, but Chase and Elaine stopped her. Looker was now standing against the wall.

"Is that civilized?!" Elaine asked. Their mother rolled her eyes but sat back down. They'd never seen her like this. She was always so calm and collected. Looker remained standing, which was probably safer. "What do you mean 'semi-recruit?'"

"We don't need you full time, but want to make sure that if Team Rocket came up to you and made an offer you wouldn't accept," Looker explained, glancing at their mother every few seconds to make sure he was still safe. "I'm here to watch over you on your journey."

"_Really_?" Mom said, her tone saying she didn't believe him.

"As a matter of fact, yes, really," Looker said, his tone almost as fierce as hers. It must have worked because she backed off. "So, in conclusion, you two would be semi-International Police Agents."

Elaine said, "Interesting." Chase remained silent, pondering what Looker had said.

"So, what exactly are the responsibilities of a 'semi-International Police Agent?'" Chase asked, not showing any interest or disinterest. Looker just seemed glad that they hadn't kicked him out yet.

"You'd assist in the fight against Team Rocket, when needed," Looker explained. "But it won't interfere with your journey. You are kids, after all, and we don't want to take away your childhood experiences."

"Alright, but who is Team Rocket?"

"Oh!" Looker exclaimed as if he'd forgotten that he needed to explain that. "Team Rocket is a group of gangsters that has plagued the Kanto Region for years. However, the International Police don't have enough information to arrest them. What's so funny?" Elaine was smiling wide. She let out a small laugh then answered, "You said gangsters." Looker didn't seem to know what to make of that.

"Looker? The gang- I mean Team Rocket?" Chase said, trying to get Looker back on track.

"Right, so, Team Rocket has spent their time since forming some fifteen years ago stealing pokemon and conducting illegal experiments," Looker continued.

"And you don't have enough information to arrest them? That seems like it would be more than enough to arrest people for," Chase said.

"Don't get me started," Looker said with an eyeroll. "Apparently there are some laws that we're trying to work on."

"Seems legit," Chase said and shrugged his shoulders.

"It sounds awesome!" Elaine blurted out. Their mother looked at Elaine with a horrified expression.

"No, not awesome," their mother chimed in. "Looker, I know you're in desperate need of help there, but you can't just recruit children!"

"We're not just recruiting children!" Looker said, desperately trying to defend himself. "But if we don't then Team Rocket could be the next people knocking on your door! They knew Mark was dangerous! Why else would they-?" Looker cut himself before he went too far. He sighed. "Look, I'm not happy about this either, but if I didn't come then someone else would have."

"That's true," Mom said, reluctant to admit that he had a point.

"Then we'll let them decide," Looker said and smiled at Chase and Elaine.

Chase responded fast before Elaine could agree for the both of them, "We'll think about it."


End file.
